Church Documents

The following is a selection of documents that are particularly relevant to the Liturgy, given in reverse chronological order, the most recent appearing first. There are three categories of documents: papal, Vatican, (includes Vatican II’s Constitution on the Liturgy) and US Bishops.

Unless noted otherwise, all documents are reproduced in full.(Copyrights belong to the original copyright holders. All papal documents are copyrighted by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

Synod Propositions for the New EvangelizationPope Benedict XVI received a document with 58 proposals from the Synod on the New Evangelization for the Christian Faith, which took place October 7-28, 2012. Though not yet official, Pope Benedict authorized the early release of the propositions by the Vatican Press Office on October 27. The list included proposals for action to aid the Church and individual Catholics in the mission of evangelizing the modern world. Pope Benedict will review the propositions before drafting a final version. — Propositions on Vatican website: http://en.radiovaticana.va/articolo.asp?c=633514

POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION VERBUM DOMINI, OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI, ON THE WORD OF GOD IN THE LIFE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH – September 30, 2010 – Spanish Version on the Vatican’s website

Caritas In Veritate, Encyclical Letter, of The Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI to the Bishops, Priests And Deacons, Men And Women Religious, the Lay Faithful and All People Of Good Will, On Integral Human Development, In Charity And Truth, June 29, 2009

Address to Plenary Assemblyof the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: "I urge the bishops and the Congregation to make every effort to insure that liturgical translations are faithful to the original [texts] of the respective typical editions in the Latin language. A translation, in fact, is not an exercise in creativity, but a meticulous task of preserving the meaning of the original without changes, omissions or additions…" (September 21, 2001)

First Confession and First Communion: Documents from the Holy See clarifying the obligation of administering First Confession before First Communion to end errors and abuses of sacramental discipline. (dated 1910-2004)

Prot. n. 467/05/L — Congregation for the Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, by agreement with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, — regarding the translation into the various vernaculars of the expression pro multis in the formula for the consecration of the Precious Blood during the celebration of Holy Mass, Rome, October 17, 2006

Redemptionis Sacramentum, Instruction,Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist, March 25, 2004.

Misericordia Dei : Intervention by Joseph Cardinal RatzingerMisericordia Dei, the Holy Father’s recent apostolic letter on confession, was published in the June 2002 issue of Adoremus Bulletin. This is the introduction and explanatory note given by Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, at the presentation of Misericordia Dei on May 2, 2002.

Observations on the English-language Translation of the Roman Missal Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: Introductory letter from Cardinal Jorge Medina Estévez to bishops, with complete document from the Congregation critiquing the proposed revision by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy [ICEL] of the Roman Missal, second typical edition — as submitted to the Holy See for approval. (March 16, 2002)